Boiler



Jan. 2, 1934. HUTTON 1,942,169

BOILER Filed Sept. 5, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig? 1 INVENTOR fran/r E Huiion Tg yma. AT ORN F. E. HUTTON Jan. 2, 1934.

BOILER Filed Sept. 3, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Finn/(E Huiion ATT RNEY patented jan. 2, 1934 BOILER" Frank: E; Hut-ton; Pittsburglr;.Pa .,.assigflon tmTha:

Bahcook. &. Wilcox. Company, Bayonne; N. J=., a corporation-i New J ersey ripplioation septemher present invention relatestothe construction offluidheating apparatusembod'ying spaced. roups of.v straight. headers, connected. bya. bank ofjtuhular.fluidlconduitelementse The. eneraljobject. of my. inventionis .the pro? vision. of." fluid. heating, apparatus of." the above character; with an .improved construction .andiarrangcment. of the. headers. and tubes. providing a ,highly efiective arrangement offthe heat trans? fer-.surfaceand facilitatingthe replacement. of the tubes... A-morespecific object isthe provisionofj at. high. pressure;- steam boiler. of" the water. tube. type. with. a. header and; tube, construction and.

' rrangementoflthe.above character.

W Thepvarious. features of novelty which characterize. my: invention. are; pointed I; out with. par.- ticularity intheclaims annexed toendlformihg enart. of. thisspecification. For. a, better understanding, of the. invention, its..operating ,ad-.

- vantages. andspecific. obj ects,-.attained by, its :use,

reference; should. be. had to the, accompanying drawin s. andidescriptive matter. in .whichglihave llustratedland1described1preferredi embodiments otmninvention.

26 qffthedrawin s;

Fig, Lisa sectional elevation through: asteam boilenconstruoted .inaccordanaa .with .my,. inven tiOlll.

Fig. 2'? is. arpairtiallsection on .the. 1ine..2-L,2i'.0f.'

mg. .ilLustratingbne-row of i tubes F ;is.- a..fragmentary,. View. on an enlarged. seale,..showing.;the tubesjoined to. the. header;

Ei g; .is; -a..s.ection on .theeline of ,Fig... 3 i

Fig.5iis alsectiontonithe line. 5?-5' .of.Fi'g,.,1;;

Fig, 6 is ;.a. fra mentary. view. similar to. Fig. 1- llfitratine.a..modification...

The; invention .is, illustrated asi-embodied. in 1 a; steam bjoile i. of. the; water. tube type. comprising.

tp mbllfition-chamber .10.;3in. .which fuel isburnedi. The fuellburning apparatus may. be 0t zany.. suit? blea esi n;andtinasmuchasth'e invention is par-.- I ticularly adaptedjon use with .steam .b'oilers. uti,-. izine ..;D, 1;Yerized.1coal.;or other slag burning. .fueL;

:" fuel ;bjur ner nozzles. 11; are conventionally illus: trated: The comb ustion .chamber, ,wa1l's' prefr-.- b y nclude .I'OW520fLWfl1l61- tubes. 12;, in which. te mis. generated and conducted into. the coir: u atin ;.s stem of. the. boiler. by suitable. con.-.

6.0 nect pns'- not hiown).;

msposedgabove .tlie. combustioncch'am'berl is';a.. boilen structure comprising a. transversely: ar-.

an eclzihqrizontaLsteam. anduwatendrum 131.com eqted.l y.' nples 1% ltQ ,ahgroup of iddwnitake fil headers 15, andby'cir'culators 16 to a group of uptake headers 137; arranged at the opposite end:

of? the boiler. As. shownv Fig.. 1,. the dome take headers. areverticalg .while. the uptake. head ers are at a higher level andli'ncli'ned' athanangle of. approximately. 45? toward'sfthe'downtake headers.. 'Ilhe groups ofheaders.aiddn defining 0p: posite walls. of? a .tapering ,gas -pass.-throug-h which flowmeatingigases from the combustionchamben 103to the outlet. flue 20; Theheadrsrlf andzlfl I are. preferably straightu headers of. substantial-1y circular. cross-section. arrangedl as hereinafter. described. The groups offheaders are-connected: byQan inclined bankoflsteamgenerating tubes 30; I arrangediin rows-across the width ofi the boiler; with thetubesin eachmowt' for. a major. portion of. their. lz'engthssconcentricallycuryedrelative tW the tubesin theremaining rows.- Theends ofeaeh: tube: are. bent in at. predetermined manner and-v expanded into. corresponding. uptake. and downtak'eheaders, .ashereinaften deseribedq.

Ahovethe tube. bank.is:arrangedasuperheater; having a .group ofl retum .bend .tubes -2 1connectedtoinletlandioutlet headers122;'and.23; respectively; Thesuperheater. is.rsuppliedmithrsteamlfromithe drum. 13'. through": connections. 19. The: super heater tubesare.supportedlatlone .endlby aawall resting; on the tubes. 30; the: space. between bottom of this wall and the-headers 15 being: sealed .byfa baflle- .25. Theropposite.endaportions of. tIieJsuperheater. tubfes. are supported in-anysuitable. manner, such. as. by: lugs.- 26.1- engaginglugs.2.7cn certaJnheaders-I'ZI.

In accordance with .myinvention, the. tubes-3b; and headers. 15'1and-I1Taretsoforined.'andarraaiged that the. tubes-in each row. for. a.. majdr portion of their lengthsare substantially uniformly-spaced apart. to. provide gas passages of; substantiall ia uniform width throughout thewidth otItheboiler; and which arrangement perm-its rapid and easy:- replacement of Ianybf ithe tubes. v

Asshown: =in. Fis ...1-5; the-tubes.- and headers areoarranged-l in a plurality. ofisid-by.,-side--.sections,- eachisection' consistingg, oi a1igned .uptake=:' and-.ldowntake headers. connected iby aagroupiof tubes. 30 arranged-in. pairs .ispacedilongitudinallfin of the headers. Each'pair includstubes fl. and 32. disposed Ton arcs of corresponding concentric circles, each tube 31; beingedfs'posedlnearer the plane passing through the longitudinal- Taxesmf 1 the headers inithat section than -the-.-.tube -32 5 f 2' the. pair; .andfhaszing its. end lportions': equallim b'ent'latrally'in the sameddirectionixto.aivlssen extent, thanethose ,of i the tube= 321. Th'e.= tubes 30 (includihgtheir bent lend .porti'o'ns .may beicona. sidered'as positioned 'on the surfaces of 'concen- 10 in parallel planes.

tric cylinders. The headers being preferably of circular cross-section, the amount of bending of the tubes 31 and 32 is preferably sufficient to provide a radial entrance of the tubes into the headers. A highly effective arrangement of the heat transfer surface is effected by staggering the tube openings in the headers and by forming the tubes 31' and 32' in the adjacent pairs with end portions similar to the tubes 31 and 32, respectively, and arranging the tubes 31' and 32 at opposite sides of the plane containing the header axes from the tubes 31 and 32, respectively, and turned endfor-end relative to said tubes. A tube sieve will be thus formed in which the tubes in each row are substantially uniformly spaced across the boiler for a major portion of their lengths, providing gas passages of equal width, and the tubes in each row staggered relative to the tubes in adjacent rows, as shown in Figs. 3-5.

In the tube bank shown, the five upper rows are substantially equally spaced apart. Alternate tube rows are omitted in the remaining part of the bank to provide a slag screen in which the tube rows are spaced twice as far apart as the rows in the upper section.

The curving of the major portion of each tube in a vertical plane and the bending of its end portions in a curved plane normal thereto to provide the desirable radial entry into the headers and the effective tube sieve shown would render tube replacement extremely difficult if the headers at each end were arranged as usual with their longitudinal axes in the same plane and if the described tube spacing and proper header ligament strength were desired to be maintained without undesirably increasing the width of the boiler. The necessary amount of header clearance is obtained in the present'construction by staggering the headers at both ends of the tube bank, so that the axes of adjacent headers lie The amount of offset between adjacent headers is made suflicient to provide a clearance between adjacent headers equal to at least a tube diameter and preferably the same at both ends of the tube bank, so that while the tubes vary in length according to their position lengthwise of the headers, for any corresponding position thereon the tubes 31 or 32 will be of equal length in all sections.

In removing any of the tubes 31 and 32, the end portions of the tube are cut loose from the header and the tube manipulated through the successive positions A, B, and C, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Preferably, the tubes 31 and 32' are removed through an interheader space at the uptake end of the bank, and the tubes 32 and 31' through an interheater space at the downtake end. In positioning a new tube for any tube removed, the nipples are removed from the corresponding tube openings in the headers and the new tube swung over until its far end is seated in the proper tube opening. The tube is then moved longitudinally into that header a sufficient distance to allow its near end to clear the adjacent header. The near end is then inserted in the proper tube opening and the tube ends expanded in the usual manner.

In Fig. 6, my improved tube arrangement is illustrated with the tubes 39* straight for a major portion of their lengths and both the headers 15 and 17 vertical. The tube end portions are bent and the headers staggered as in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1-5.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes I have illustrated and described herein the best forms of my invention now known to me, those skilled in the art will understand that changes may be made in the form of the constructions disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention covered by my claims, and that certain features of my invention may sometimes be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

I claim:

1. Fluid heating apparatus comprising spaced groups of straight headers, the headers in each group being correspondingly staggered and spaced apart a distance equal to at least a tube diameter and aligned with the headers in the other group, a bank of fluid conduit tubes connecting said groups of headers in a plurality of side-by-side sections, each section including a header at each end of said bank and tubes spaced longitudinally of said headers, said tubes being arranged in rows across the Width of said apparatus, and each of said tubes having laterally bent end portions and being arranged for removal through an interheader space.

2. Fluid heating apparatus comprising spaced groups of straight headers of substantially circular cross-section, the headers in each group being correspondingly staggered and spaced apart a distance equal to at least a tube diameter and aligned with the headers in the other group, a bank of fluid conduit tubes connecting said groups of headers in a plurality of similar side-by-side sections, each including a header at each end of said bank and tubes arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of said headers, said pairs of tubes being arranged in rows across the width of said apparatus, and each of said tubes having laterally bent end portions and being arranged for removal through an inter-header space.

3. Fluid heating apparatus comprising spaced groups of straight headers of substantially cir cular cross-section, the headers in each group being correspondingly staggered and spaced apart a distance equal to at least a tube diameter and aligned with the headers in the other group, a bank of curved fluid conduit tubes connecting said groups of headers in a plurality of side-byside sections, each including a header at each end of said bank and tubes arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of said headers, said pairs of tubes being arranged in rows across the width of said apparatus with all of the tubes in each row spaced substantially uniformly for a major portion of their lengths, and each of said tubes having end portions bent out of its plane of curvature and being arranged for removal through an interheader space at one end of said bank.

4. Fluid heating apparatus comprising spaced groups of straight headers of substantially circular cross-section, the headers in eachgroup being correspondingly staggered and spaced apart a distance equal to at least a tube diameter and aligned with the headers in the other group, a bank of concentrically curved fluid conduit tubes connecting said groups of headers in a plurality of side-by-side sections, each including a header at each end of said bank and tubes arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of said headers, said pairs of tubes being arranged in rows across the width of said apparatus With all of the tubes in each row spaced substantially uniformly for a major portion of their lengths, one tube of each pair being disposed for a major portion of its length nearer than the other to a plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the header, and each of said tubeshaving end portions similarly ill) bent out of its plane of curvature and being arranged for removal through an inter-header space at one end of said bank.

5. Fluid heating apparatus comprising spaced groups of straight headers of substantially circular cross-section, the headers in each group being correspondingly staggered and spaced apart a distance equal to at least a tube diameter and aligned with the headers in the other group, a bank of concentrically curved fluid conduit tubes connecting said groups of headers in a plurality of side-by-side sections, each including a header at each end of said bank and tubes arranged in pairs spaced longitudinally of said headers, said pairs of tubes being arranged in staggered rows across the width of said apparatus with all of the tubes in each row spaced substantially uniformly for a major portion of their lengths, and each of said tubes having end portions bent out of its plane of curvature, the tubes in adjacent pairs having similarly bent end portions but oppositely arranged and turned end for end, and all of the tubes being arranged for removal through interheader spaces at the end of said bank.

6. A water tube steam boiler comprising a combustion chamber, spaced groups of straight headers of substantially circular cross-section, the headers in each group being correspondingly staggered and spaced apart a distance equal to at least a tube diameter and in alignment with the headers in the other group, a bank of curved tubes arranged in rows above said combustion chamber, the tubes connected to each header being arranged in pairs spaced apart longitudinally of said header and having laterally bent end portions, and the tubes forming each pair being arranged for removal through inter-header spaces.

'7. A water tube steam boiler comprising a combustion chamber, spaced groups of straight headers of substantially circular cross-section, the headers in each group being correspondingly staggered and spaced apart a distance equal to at least a tube diameter and in alignment with the headers in the other group, a bank of continuously curved tubes arranged in rows above said combustion chamber, the tubes connected to each header being arranged in pairs spaced apart longitudinally of said header and having laterally bent end portions, the tubes in each tube row being substantially uniformly spaced apart for a major portion of their lengths, and the tubes forming each pair being arranged for removal through inter-header spaces.

8. A water tube steam boiler comprising a combustion chamber, spaced groups of straight headers of substantially circular cross-section arranged to define opposite sides of a pass for heating gases leaving said combustion chamber, the headers in each group being correspondingly staggered and spaced apart a distance equal to at least a tube diameter and in alignment with the headers in the other group, a bank of continuously curved tubes arranged in rows extending across said gas pass, the tubes connected to each header being arranged in pairs spaced apart longitudinally of said header with certain tubes in adjacent pairs having similar laterally bent end portions but turned end for end, and the tubes forming each pair being arranged for removal through inter-header spaces at the sides of said gas pass.

9. A water tube steam boiler comprising a combustion chamber, spaced groups of straight headers of substantially circular cross-section arranged to define opposite sides of a tapering pass for heating gases leaving said combustion chamber, the headers in each group being correspondingly staggered and spaced apart a distance equal to at least a tube diameter and in alignment with the headers in the other group, a bank of concentrically curved tubes arranged in staggered rows extending across said gas pass, the tubes connected to each header being arranged in pairs spaced apart longitudinally of said header with the tubes in adjacent pairs having similar laterally bent end portions but turned end for end, one tube of each pair being disposed for a major portion of its length nearer than the other to a plane passing through the longitudinal axes of the headers, the tubes in each tube row being substantially uniformly spaced apart for a major portion of their lengths, and the tubes forming each pair being arranged for removal through inter-header spaces at opposite sides of said gas pass.

10. A water tube steam boiler comprising a combustion chamber, spaced groups of straight headers of substantially circular cross-section arranged to define opposite sides of a pass for heating gases leaving said combustion chamber, the headers in each group being correspondingly staggered and spaced apart a distance equal to at least a tube diameter and in alignment with the headers in the other group, a bank of concentrically .curved tubes arranged in rows extending across said gas pass, the tubes connected to each header being arranged in pairs spaced apart longitudinally of said header, each tube having similar laterally bent end portions and one tube of each pair being disposed for a ma or portion of its length nearer than the other to a plane passing through the longitudinal axes of the headers, the tubes in each tube row being substantially uniformly spaced apart for a major portion of their lengths, and the tubes forming each pair being arranged for removal through inter-header spaces at the sides of said gas pass.

11. Fluid heating apparatus comprising spaced groups of straight headers, the headers in at least one of said groups being staggered and spaced apart a distance equal to at least a tube diameter and substantially in alignment with the headers in the other group, a bank of fluid conduit tubes connecting said groups of headers in a plurality of side-by-side sections, each section including a header at each end of said bank and tubes spaced longitudinally of said headers, said tubes being arranged in rows across the width of said apparatus, and each of said tubes having laterally bent end portions and being arranged for removal through an interheader space.

12. Fluid heating apparatus comprising spaced groups of straight headers, the headers in each g'roup being staggered and spaced apart at a distance equal to at least a tube diameter, a bank of fluid conduit tubes connecting said groups of headers in a plurality of side-by-side sections, each section including a header at each end of said bank and tubes spaced longitudinally of said headers, said tubes being arranged in rows across the width of said apparatus, and each of said tubes having laterally bent end portions and being arranged for removal through an interheader space.

FRANK E. HUTTON. 

